Jahydin
Hero
I hear you. I more or less just collect and read them. I enjoy the different takes on "what Gary should have done". That's why when one comes around that I actually want to play I get excited.I'll take your word on it. The reviews seemed positive and the reviewers favorable to the designer. That's just what they mentioned in the reviews.
I've enjoyed the dungeons he's made, but I'm at my OSR system threshold. I didn't back Dolmenwood, Shadowdark, or the Swords and Wizardry revision. At this point, I just have everything I need to fit that genre.
Well I'll try and help out as best I can.Its hard to think of something to ask about because I have no idea what has and has not changed, or what scale of differences there are.
The major reasons Dragonslayer is really standing out to me now are:
1) Art. Honestly worth grabbing for the art alone. Think of the vibe the AD&D Player Handbook cover gives off: Dragonslayer captures that on every page.
2) Borrowing ideas from other additions that improve the game. The others on this list are all tripping over themselves to recreate the old ruleset, but miss out on some of the later editions improvements. Full HP at Lv1, Clerics converting any Lv1 spell into a Cure Wounds, Fighters getting Cleave, Attacks of Opportunity, Death at -10, etc. These are all critical additions to the game and appreciate having them here.
3) Small innovations throughout. There are way too many of these to name, and by themselves they don't add much, but together add up to a better game. Example, Bind Wounds is an action the party can take after combat that allows them to head 1d3 hp and brings unconscious PCs (<0 HP) to 1 HP at the cost of a Random Monster Check. Great rule that aids in extending dungeon crawls.
4) Useful advice to newcomers in Appendices. The FAQ, Magic-User 101, and Sage Advice appendices at the end do a great job emphasizing the tone of OSR games while also offering solid survival advice. For instance: "Classic fantasy role-playing is a lot like playing Space Invaders from the 1980s. When you begin, you know you are going to die. The only question is: Will your death be worthy of legend?"
Where I stand right now:
Shadowdark: The best version of a Basic "Crawl" game. I run it similar to Warhammer Quest: Short dungeons set up like a board game ran back to back.
Dragonslayer: The best version of an Advanced "Crawl" game. I'll run it similar to Shadowdark, but with a focus on mega-dungeons and "meatier" campaigns.
Hyperborea: Best version of AD&D to play out Sci-Fi/Pulp adventures.
Castles & Crusades: Best version of AD&D to run longer, "Epic" campaigns, especially your own. This is because of the reduced lethality, greater system flexibility, ease of play, and progression to Lv20.
OSE: The best game for playing D&D EXACTLY like it used to. Great reference point for comparing other games.